The American Medical Association stands in support of physician-led healthcare teams, and has spent years fighting scope creep in all of its forms.
About 91 percent of patients agree that a physician's years of training are vital for optimal patient care, according to a May 12 report from the AMA.
For some specialities, like anesthesiology, the amount of training differs greatly from anesthesiologists to certified registered nurse anesthesiologists.
While nurse anesthesia programs are shifting toward doctoral degrees, there have been no major changes in the number of clinical hours required for CRNAs.
CRNA vs. anesthesiologist training requirements:
Length of graduate level education
CRNA: Three years in addition to a four year bachelor of nursing program
MD/DO: Four years
Years of residency/fellowship training
CRNA: Thousands of hours of clinical nurse anesthesiology residency
MD/DO: Four to six years
Total patient care hours
CRNA: 2,500 hours
MD/DO: Approximately 12,000 to 16,000 hours